Abstract
Can the study of philosophy lead to happiness—whether after death, as Socrates claimed, in Plato's dialogue ‚The Phaedo‛, or while one is still alive, as Epicurus, the Roman Stoics, and other ancient thinkers maintained? In his dialogue ‚Hermotimus or on Philosophical Schools‛, the second-century satirist Lucian of Samosata cast a skeptical eye on all such teachings. How can students know which of the many paths to happiness and wisdom to choose, which guide to trust? Might signing on with any one teacher be a waste of time? What if some are charlatans who not only fail to provide a path to happiness but actually mislead and profiteer from their hapless charges? I argue that Lucian's cautionary attitude is equally useful today for anyone confronted with the profusion of courses, books and websites offering help in finding or 'choosing' happiness. I would now wish to include his irreverent voice among the many that I found helpful in writing Exploring Happiness: From Aristotle to Brain Science. But I would hope to invite him, in turn, to go beyond his skeptical approach and reach also for the sympathetic understanding of different experiences and perspectives needed to deepen one's understanding of happiness.
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